Everything You Wanted to Know But Were Too Lazy to Google About Fitz’s Overworked Secretary on ‘Scandal’

On a high-stakes political thriller like Scandal, it’s easy to overlook some of the bit parts that keep the White House war machine churning. One of these bit parts is a steadfast, if overworked, young woman named Lauren Wellman.

Lauren is the White House secretary who frequently takes abuse from the drama’s biggest troublemakers, including Mellie, Cy, and Fitz — and manages to keep a cool head about it. What you might not know is that she’s played by an actress named Sharmila Devar. Devar’s no newcomer to network TV. Prior to Scandal, she starred in NBC’s Outsourced, and had roles on Private Practice, The Mentalist, Gilmore Girls, and many more.

She Stars in the Must-See Short Film Happy And You Know It

She nails the anxiety of an expecting mother in Deepti Gupta’s excellent short film Happy and You Know It — which features an incredible scene where a vibrator turns into a light saber. Watch the entire thing below:

She Features in That Awesome A-Ha-inspired Volkswagen Spot

She and Actor Parvesh Cheena are a Natural Team

Following the axing of the short-lived Outsourced, Devar and Parvesh Cheena appeared at an event, pretending to be Indian tourists discussing the fate of their favorite short-lived American shows.

What’s in a Name?

Devar isn’t actually her surname; like Mindy Kaling or Kal Penn, Devar simplified her name for an audience that might find “Devarajan” too convoluted, but “Devar” just the right number of syllables.